We're sick here. I have such a crazy cold that Samuel was laughing the other night at my voice and my sneezing and saying I had a cartoon cold. He also said he didn't realize they were real and that he'd never had one. I had to think about that a minute, but I think he's right about that. He's had plenty of other viruses, but not the common cold. And it looks like he isn't going to get it this time, either. His body seems to be going with another virus variety that has been floating around lately.
So today I have to go over and pick up our groceries- thank goodness for grocery pick up! And then the kids and I will most likely be watching a few of the Christmas shows I had on hold both at the library and on Netflix before Christmas, but which are only now just coming in. I wish we were finished with Little Women because I would love to watch that movie again today. We watched Gone With the Wind a few nights ago and Samuel and Eva both really enjoyed it. Samuel was stunned, actually, that it wasn't a happy ending. The sadness of the ending is fairly pronounced in the movie- all except for Scarlet's resolve, which remains strong. He said he liked it even if it was a tragedy, though he wasn't sure he'd be watching anything like it any time soon. And Eva really liked Scarlet. She was quite taken with all of the fancy gowns and hats and such in the movie as well.
We are all a little nervous about any sad scenes that might be approaching in Little Women. Samuel is really loving the story and the characters and the writing and has had quite a few realizations about the lives of women in the past (and present), which I find very interesting and thought-provoking. We are planning on watching both the modern version and the older, black and white version of the movie when we finish the book. And I am not sure what to follow Little Women with. I have a few ideas- a stack of ideas, actually, but nothing firm. We were given a copy of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and while Samuel and I have read an abridged version several years ago, several times (he was *very* into it), neither of us has read the full version. I guess I will decide once we actually finish Little Women. It's a good excuse to peruse the books lists to get some more ideas. I'm actually really wanting to read the Yearling to them, but honestly- and maybe I've said this here before- I don't know if I can take the sad scenes right now!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
two
I was lucky enough to see this garden spider (we call them big ladies.) outside our front window. I've never seen one with her egg sac before and this was a special treat. This was the closest I could get without {completely} upsetting her. As it was, she guarded her eggs the entire time I was around and only relaxed her vigilance once I took the step stool and my camera away. I saw her looking more relaxed when I resumed watching her from inside the house. We've had quite a bit of cold weather recently and I haven't seen her through the window since the cold weather. It seems she got her egg sac finished just in time. I look forward to seeing her babies hatch and pour out of their egg sac this spring.
one
(OK- I'm totally off track for the blog every day thing {not going to add *already*. That seems implied. Sort of.} Things came up and blogging didn't happen. Oh well. I'm making the best of it now and adding extra today. It won't count for the official blogging counters, but I'll go ahead and count it for myself and try for the official counters next month {again}.)
We've been having fun with my new ipod touch that I was given for my birthday. The kids have also been playing quite a bit with the Star Wars figures. Samuel was given several new guys for Christmas and bought two more just the other day at Toys R Us with a gift card he was also given. Toys R Us, by the way, is much more palatable on January 3rd than it was on December 27th. Samuel noticed right away and will hopefully remember this fact next year as well so that we can forego what has turned into a yearly trip right after Christmas. Obviously, this is something I would skip anyway, but I try and be supportive at Christmas with this sort of thing. And really, if I'm at all honest with myself, I also know that it will be more restful if I just go ahead and make the trip than if I try and put it off. That is- unless he decides to wait on his own. Which- as i mentioned above- he may very well choose to do next year. We shall see.
The other thing the kids and I have been spending time doing is playing the game Carcassonne. It was introduced to me at Powells a few days before Christmas by a dad who very kindly explained to me all of the games on this large table of games they had featured at the store. He had played them all- plays most of them still- and Carcassonne was one that he highly recommended- both in general and for Samuel's age. And he was right. It is an excellent game and all three of us keep suggesting we play it. The length is just right for Eva {and me} and there is enough strategy to keep Samuel enthusiastic. Plus, you get to say you are a knight if you put your little wooden guy in a castle, and who doesn't like that. We all like being thieves. And today, the monasteries turned into zen monasteries, which I had to laugh at. A fine mixing of East and West in the Middle Ages.
Plus, Eva likes to play with and build with the little Carcassonne guys.
We've been having fun with my new ipod touch that I was given for my birthday. The kids have also been playing quite a bit with the Star Wars figures. Samuel was given several new guys for Christmas and bought two more just the other day at Toys R Us with a gift card he was also given. Toys R Us, by the way, is much more palatable on January 3rd than it was on December 27th. Samuel noticed right away and will hopefully remember this fact next year as well so that we can forego what has turned into a yearly trip right after Christmas. Obviously, this is something I would skip anyway, but I try and be supportive at Christmas with this sort of thing. And really, if I'm at all honest with myself, I also know that it will be more restful if I just go ahead and make the trip than if I try and put it off. That is- unless he decides to wait on his own. Which- as i mentioned above- he may very well choose to do next year. We shall see.
The other thing the kids and I have been spending time doing is playing the game Carcassonne. It was introduced to me at Powells a few days before Christmas by a dad who very kindly explained to me all of the games on this large table of games they had featured at the store. He had played them all- plays most of them still- and Carcassonne was one that he highly recommended- both in general and for Samuel's age. And he was right. It is an excellent game and all three of us keep suggesting we play it. The length is just right for Eva {and me} and there is enough strategy to keep Samuel enthusiastic. Plus, you get to say you are a knight if you put your little wooden guy in a castle, and who doesn't like that. We all like being thieves. And today, the monasteries turned into zen monasteries, which I had to laugh at. A fine mixing of East and West in the Middle Ages.
Plus, Eva likes to play with and build with the little Carcassonne guys.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Hey, it's my birthday...
I started out with a walk at the Arboretum. It's been cold here and it was even colder up there.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
January 1, 2011
(Going to do National Blog Posting Month again {aka NaBloPoMo} because it was so much fun when I tried it before. (Of course, when I did it before, it was more of a stealth NaBloPoMo. I registered on the site but didn't acknowledge it here. Sometimes I am interested in stealth, sometimes I am not.) Plus it feels like it is better for me when I post vs when I don't post. Somehow, when I am committed to posting, my attitude about being able to find something to post about is much more on the positive side, as in- anything that comes up can be made into something at least remotely interesting enough to post about. When I am not committed to posting everyday, I definitely have some good posts and I am more selective. But- I can also fall prey to thinking that there is nothing interesting to post about, and that thinking can be debilitating. If I am in the right state of mind, it can even spiral into me not posting anything for long stretches. Longer stretches than I sometimes like.
So. Coming out of what has turned out to be an especially hectic holiday season {for me}, I thought posting daily might be good therapy. And a good transition to the cool, clear, wide open month of January. {Or so it often seems after the lights and chaos and action of December.} This month's theme is January. We'll see what- if anything- I make of that.)
***
Magoo- unsure of the incense and candle smoke. {Brightening things up and clearing out the space for the New Year.}
This setup further inspired Eva to get out the rest of the candles. I love it when that happens. It reminds me to keep things moving.
So. Coming out of what has turned out to be an especially hectic holiday season {for me}, I thought posting daily might be good therapy. And a good transition to the cool, clear, wide open month of January. {Or so it often seems after the lights and chaos and action of December.} This month's theme is January. We'll see what- if anything- I make of that.)
***
Magoo- unsure of the incense and candle smoke. {Brightening things up and clearing out the space for the New Year.}
This setup further inspired Eva to get out the rest of the candles. I love it when that happens. It reminds me to keep things moving.
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